


Pixelator Picks

by RockSunner



Series: Smart Adversaries AU [36]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bittersweet Ending, Break Up, Chat Noir Reveal, Dimension Travel, Episode: s01 Numéric | Pixelator, F/M, Identity Reveal, Implied/Referenced Underage, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-22
Updated: 2019-02-24
Packaged: 2019-11-03 20:47:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17884946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RockSunner/pseuds/RockSunner
Summary: What if Pixelator didn't go for Ladybug's deal?





	1. No Deal

Pixelator was strutting around the Champs-Élysées, digitizing everyone he saw with the camera lens that concealed his right eye.

Lieutenant Raincomprix charged him, baton in hand. Zap!

Pixelator advanced on the other police officers who were cowering behind their cars.

Ladybug swung in and landed a few meters away from Pixelator. Onlookers in hiding cheered her arrival, and so did the police.

"Got an itchy trigger finger, eh?" Ladybug asked.

Ladybug tried to project confidence, but she knew this fight was going to be difficult. Ladybug's right arm still felt real to her, but she couldn't touch anything with it. Using the yo-yo left-handed was tricky. Where was Chat Noir?

"I was expecting you, Ladybug," said Pixelator.

Pixelator sent zaps after Ladybug. She dodged, ran around the side of a building, and slid back to the ground on a lamppost. Ladybug's missing arm threw her off balance, and she stumbled. She slid under a car.

When she peeked out she saw Pixelator standing on top of the car, aiming his camera at her.

"Look into the lens!"

Ladybug slid out on the other side of the car and ran, with Pixelator following and zapping at her.

Ladybug needed to get behind him to have a chance of grabbing his camera. She aimed her yo-yo at a nearby lamppost for a swing.

Thunk! It hit the lamppost instead. Left-handed was really not working well for her. Ladybug had already leaped for the swing and the failure of the yo-yo to catch hold made her fall.

Pixelator was almost on top of her. Ladybug crawled backwards until her back was against a car. Her yo-yo pulled back to her and automatically re-attached itself to her belt, but she had no time to use it.

Ladybug said desperately, "I have a proposition to make! If you free those innocent people, I'll organize a photoshoot with Jagged Stone!"

A butterfly-shaped mask of light appeared around Pixelator's eyes.

"Hawk Moth is telling Pixelator not to listen to me," Ladybug thought.

Pixelator asked, "Why should I believe you, Ladybug?"

Ladybug said, "Because you have no choice. I'm the only one who knows where Jagged is."

"How about I free half of them now and the other half after the photoshoot. Deal?"

"Okay. It's a deal," said Ladybug. Under her breath she added, "Yeah, right..."

"I heard that," said Pixelator. "The deal's off."

Pixelator zapped Ladybug with the camera.

* * *

Ladybug was in a realm of complete white. There was nothing in any direction except for two people.

Mireille Caquet and Théo Barbot ran to Ladybug.

"Ladybug, you got caught!" said Mireille. "Who's going to save us now?"


	2. No Exit

Ladybug touched her right arm. It was solid again.

"At least my arm problem's fixed," said Ladybug.

"What arm problem?" Théo asked.

"My right arm got digitized by Pixelator and I couldn't use it. Now that I'm completely digitized I'm whole again," said Ladybug "Did you see it when I looked into your picture? My arm was all fuzzy like computer pixels."

"Is that where we are?" asked Mireille. "In a picture?"

"Yes, there are pictures hung up in a photographer's room. Each has a pocket dimension with people in it."

"How do we get out?" asked Théo.

"Don't worry, I'll think of something," said Ladybug, trying to sound confident.

In fact, Ladybug was extremely worried. One way out was if Pixelator released them, as she had almost persuaded him to do for half the prisoners. That would only happen now under Hawk Moth's direction, after his complete victory.

If Chat Noir got captured, too...

Ladybug imagined Pixelator coming to his room and demanding that each of them give up their Miraculous in exchange for the freedom of everyone else. They would have no choice but to surrender. Hawk Moth might feel vindictive enough to leave them both trapped, each in their own private dimension, to go mad from boredom. Digitized people probably didn't drink, eat, or sleep... or age. They would be trapped forever.

"What about your Miraculous Ladybug charm?" asked Mireille. "That fixes everything, right?"

"It can't be used without certain preconditions," said Ladybug. "The link between the akuma butterfly and the villain has to be severed. Usually that happens when the akumatized object is broken and the butterfly is released. It would probably also work if Pixelator was trapped in one of his pictures and his camera was left in the real world."

"Maybe Chat Noir has broken the camera by now," said Théo. "You could try it. If it doesn't work, keep trying until it does."

"The magic ladybugs have to be able to touch things to fix them. If I released them here, they would just fly around and find nothing to fix. Besides, I'd have to summon a good-luck object. Once I do that, I'm on a five-minute time limit to transform back to my civilian identity."

"We're really stuck," said Théo. "You can't fix anything without getting out, and there's no way out."

"I'm still thinking," said Ladybug. "There has to be a way."

Mireille snuggled closer to Théo. "If we have to be trapped forever, I'm glad we're together."

Ladybug looked at them with disapproval. "Are you two dating?"

Théo and Mireille spoke simultaneously.

"Yes! We're in love," said Mireille.

"It's platonic," said Théo.

"It's not platonic," said Mireille. "Remember when we..."

"Ladybug doesn't need to know," interrupted Théo. "Remember, she's unofficially law enforcement."

"Mireille, you're in high school," said Ladybug. "Théo is in his twenties."

"I'm only 22," said Théo. "And Mireille is mature for her age."

"I have my own weather show on KIDZ+ TV," said Mireille.

"You're making a mistake, Mireille," said Ladybug.

"Don't get all preachy with us, Ladybug," said Théo. "You're in a relationship yourself."

Ladybug asked, "Who told you that?"

"Chat Noir himself. He said you two were 'a thing', and 'like this'."

Théo crossed his fingers to show what he meant.

Ladybug was incensed. The nerve of that sleazy cat, lying and bragging on her, hurting her reputation with a civilian!

"I'll have words with Chat Noir about this later, when we get out," said Ladybug. "Théo, when you were akumatized into Copycat, you were hoping you could replace Chat Noir as my lover."

"I... I don't remember," said Théo, looking nervously at Mireille. "I was akumatized. That makes you do crazy things you wouldn't normally do."

Mireille pulled away from Théo. "You didn't tell me you were in love with Ladybug. I think I'm just your rebound. She and I look a lot alike."

"Mireille baby, please!" said Théo. "It's not like that."

"I'm breaking up with you," said Mireille.

Théo groaned. "This is just like that Sartre play, with three people locked up together forever, tormenting each other. No Exit."

"Maybe there is an exit," said Ladybug. "I'm going to try something. When I spin my yo-yo fast, I can cut through almost anything. Once I cut through the side of a bus that was falling on me."

Mireille asked, "What are you going to cut through?"

"The only solid surface here – the floor we're standing on," said Ladybug.

"It could be dangerous," said Théo.

"What do we have to lose?" asked Mireille. "I want out of here."

Ladybug spun her yo-yo fast, carving into the floor. She rotated around in place, digging a circle around herself. When she felt the floor giving way she leaped to safety.

They all looked into the hole.

"It's dark down there. I can't see a bottom," said Théo.

"Hold my yo-yo line," said Ladybug to Théo. "I'll reel myself down and check it out. Then I'll reel back up and tell you what I found."

* * *

Ladybug went down a long way into the darkness. There seemed to be nothing around her, a black counterpart to the room above.

Then the line went slack, and Ladybug was falling! Had Théo lost his grip? Or did he drop her deliberately? There were enough issues between them that she could believe the latter.

Ladybug spun the yo-yo helicopter-style, slowing her fall. She landed on a dark, flat surface. She decided to try cutting through it again.

When Ladybug peeked into the new hole, she saw another white room. Adrien and Chloé were standing in the distance. Jagged Stone's crocodile, Fang, was also there, lolling on his back several meters away from them.

"Of course!" Labybug thought. "Their picture hangs below the one Théo and Mireille are in. I've gone from one prison dimension into another."

Ladybug helicoptered down to greet the second set of prisoners.


	3. No Lies

Chloé ran to her. "Ladybug, you came to save me! I mean, us."

"I'm sorry, it's not going to be that easy," said Ladybug. "I got trapped by Pixelator, too."

Adrien looked at the round chunk of white ceiling that had fallen when Ladybug cut her way in. He looked up at the black circle in the "sky."

"What about that hole up there?"

"I tunneled down from another picture. There's no escape from there, either."

"We're doomed?" asked Chloé.

"We have hope, as long as Chat Noir's still out there fighting," said Ladybug.

"Umm, Ladybug?" said Adrien. "May I speak to you a moment in private?"

"Chloé, would you excuse us for a moment?" asked Ladybug.

"I wouldn't for just anyone, Ladybug, but you're my hero," said Chloé. "I trust you."

Adrien and Ladybug walked out of earshot from Chloé.

Adrien whispered to Ladybug, "I'm Chat Noir."

Ladybug gave him a startled, unhappy look. Adrien assumed it was because her hopes of escape were dashed.

"If you can distract Chloé, I think I can Cataclysm us out of here."

"All right," said Ladybug. "Pretend to cover your eyes and ears for a minute."

She walked back to Chloé. "There's one more last-ditch charm I can try, but you need to close your eyes and cover your ears. It could blind or deafen you if you don't. I already told Adrien."

Chloé did as requested. Adrien stood up said his transformation phrase quietly. Then he whispered, "Cataclysm!"

When he touched the white floor surface, huge cracks appeared. They spread, breaking apart the prison worlds and freeing everyone. Chat detransformed just before he was returned to normal space.

* * *

Ladybug reappeared near the Champs-Élysées where she had been zapped. Théo and Mireille were standing nearby. Chloé and Adrien were probably back at the hotel. Pixelator was nowhere in sight.

Théo said, "Ladybug, I'm sorry I dropped the line. I couldn't hold it any longer."

Mireille said, "I tackled him from behind to make him drop you. I don't want Théo going to jail because of me."

"I have to turn you in, Théo," said Ladybug.

"We're breaking it off," said Mireille. "Please don't tell."

"I have no proof, but still..." said Ladybug. "Later. Right now I have an akuma to stop."

"I know where he went," called a voice with a heavy American accent.

"Jagged Stone!" said Ladybug.

"I had to make the sacrifice and get photographed, after he captured you," said Jagged. "But you busted me out, Ladybug."

Ladybug would have given the credit to Chat Noir, but she had to stay consistent with what Chloé believed.

"You say you know where he is?" asked Ladybug.

"Right before he took my picture, he said he was going straight home to admire his new prize for a few minutes, whether Hawk Moth liked it or not."

* * *

Ladybug called the hotel, and told Adrien to meet her at Vincent's address as Chat Noir.

The fight didn't take long. The villain was demoralized to find all his pictures gone, including the one of Jagged Stone. With a Lucky Charm roll of aluminum foil and Chat's staff, they created a reflective surface that bounced the Pixelator's attacks back on himself.

Just to test her theory that the villain being in another dimension would sever the akuma's link, Ladybug did the Miraculous Ladybug cure first, and then broke the akumatized camera. It worked.

After Ladybug purified the butterfly, Chat raised his fist for a "Pound it."

Ladybug shook her head.

"We need to talk. Meet me at the top of the Champs-Élysées Arch in a few minutes, once I recharge," said Ladybug coldly.

* * *

Chat arrived, looking worried. Ladybug started right in.

"I had a chance to talk to Théo Barbot today when I was trapped in a picture with him. He told me that you said we were 'a thing' and 'like this'."

"Oh... I'm really sorry about that."

"You were the one responsible for him getting akumatized! You let me take the blame because I missed the statue unveiling ceremony."

"I decided to keep it simple."

"During the fight, I said for all your faults you never lied to me. You lied _about_ me behind my back. My reputation meant nothing to you. I feel dirty."

"I'm sorry, it was just jealousy. He was going on about how he liked you. I wanted to chase him away."

"To chase away a creepy pedophile I wouldn't have dated in a million years?"

"It wasn't smart – it was just an emotional thing."

"In all the time since then, you've never once come clean about it and apologized."

"You would have gotten mad if I told you."

"Oh, you bet I'm mad! I might have forgiven you, after a confession directly from you. But I had to learn it from a civilian. All this time he could have been spreading that gossip to everyone."

"I'm sure he didn't. It would have reflected badly on him."

"How nice. I'm glad now I never got close to you as a civilian. I'll never go out with you in either identity."

"You thought about going out with me – as Adrien?"

"I did, actually, I had a crush on you – I put you on a pedestal. Adrien Agreste, the supermodel and all-around nice guy. Now I know you're not really nice at all. You're a liar and a sleazeball."

"I really am nice, almost always. It was just one mistake. Please give me another chance. We're a team."

"I'll work with you as a superhero because I have no choice. But don't expect any playful banter. It's just business from now on."

Ladybug took off, swinging away on her yo-yo.

Chat Noir stared after her. His crush was crushed again. Maybe someday he could earn her forgiveness... maybe. It wouldn't be easy.

* * *

That night, Jagged Stone gave a concert where he played a song he had composed about Ladybug, the superhero who broke him free of Pixelator's prison dimension. He was wearing the Eiffel Tower sunglasses that Marinette had created.

Alya, Nino, and Adrien were there. Not Marinette. For some reason she had given her free ticket to Chloé.

The End


End file.
